Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the school groups, in particular the group from County Longford. I know Senator Carrigy's wife, Úna. The latter group has a link to Ballinasloe as Úna Boland is from the town of Ballinasloe. We must give all of the children a big wave because we need them to come here. They will be here in a few years' time. Do they know that women only make up 40% of Senators? We need a few more girls to join us. What do the girls think? Can I have a thumbs up? Yes.

I invite everybody to Ballinasloe because the Heritage Boat Association is hosting an event to showcase barges, including a barge that dates back to 1847. Many barges will come from Dublin and Kildare. The River Suck branch of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland is newly established in Ballinasloe. I wish to thank the IWAI branches in Kildare and Athlone for donating money and gifts to help the new branch get started. As a member of the new branch, I can say we need new members and I encourage everyone to join. The event will be a special occasion because the marina in Ballinasloe is a wonderful amenity. The River Suck is the largest tributary of the River Shannon so people can rent a boat at Athlone, Shannonbridge or Banagher and sail to Ballinasloe. If people come to Ballinasloe this weekend, they will see numerous barges or really long boats.

On Saturday, 28 May, the fleet of boats will arrive in Ballinasloe between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. The barges will transport barrels and kegs just like in the past along the Grand Canal into Ballinasloe. They will transport kegs of very nice stuff that children, unfortunately, cannot have yet. On Saturday, 4 June, as part of the Cruinniú na nÓg national events, there will be children's celebrations and family activities between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Of course children are very welcome to come along to that event and perhaps their muinteoir, Ms Boland or Carrigy, might bring the schoolchildren to Ballinasloe for that day.